An Obsession with All Things Handmade and Home-Cooked

Patience Is a Virtue…

Where, oh where has my patience gone? Or maybe a better question would be, when have I ever been patient? People tell me, “But you must be a very patient person because you knit!” For me, it’s a very different situation, since I see knitting as a sort of meditation while still being an conscious activity. It captivates me, holds my attention, as opposed to the drudgery and repetition some non-knitters think it is. Anyway, waiting really isn’t something I’m very good at, especially when I’m not sure how long my plans may be kept on hold. Such is the case right when anxiously anticipating new patterns on some of my favorite craft sites.

It is just me, or does anyone else share similar feelings towards the fact that the Anti-Craft seems to never update? Don’t get me wrong, I love the concept and their very original projects to death, because what could possibly be better than punk rock crafting? This is why I’m dying for more of their patterns. Shouldn’t the new autumn issue be up by now??

Attempting to alleviate my frustration, I’ve been poking through the archives periodically. Something that caught my eye a while ago was this gorgeous choker, but at the time I had only just begun attempting to wield a hook, so I shied away from the challenge. Now, with still hardly any more skill than when I originally spied it, I decided that at the very least it would be a learning experience.

Well, needless to say, it turned out better than I could have truly even hoped for. I am so pleased that this intricate length of lace was borne from my own hook. Maybe I’m finally starting to get the hang of this whole crochet thing after all.

With such a gorgeous design, the only problem I’ve found is that there are few occasions to wear jewelry quite so ornate. Although I don’t have an issue with wearing mismatched or “unusual” outfits, so on second though, it’s absolutely perfect.

Many thanks to Collett who kindly agreed to model it for me, as I discovered that it can be very difficult to get a clear, centered picture of your own neck.

Oh, and there is one small detail that makes my choker somewhat… unique. I couldn’t get my hands on any hook and eye closures to finish it off, so I did the only ration thing I could think of that would solve this problem. I went through my dresser draws, dug out an old bra already due for the trash, and simple “borrowed” a hook and eye from the back. [Don’t worry, it was all clean.]